Office of the Historian

493.56D9/7–551: Telegram

The United States Deputy Representative at the United Nations (Gross) to the Secretary of State

restricted
priority
New York, July 5, 1951.

31. Re embargo resolution—Indonesian response.

Following is text of Indonesian response to embargo res submitted UN by Palar today and received informally from UN by USUN:

“Reference is made to res No. 500 (V) adopted by the GA on 18 May 1951. Under instructions from my govt, I have the honour to invite your attention to the following:

Subsequent to the adoption of the res under reference, the Govt of the Republic of Indonesia, in an official statement, declared inter alia:

‘The delegation of the Republic of Indonesia abstained from voting upon the res, thus acting in line with this country’s active and independent foreign policy of contributing to the preservation of world peace.’

The Government of the Republic of Indonesia further stated that ‘the facts show that until the present moment there have been no exports from Indonesia to the PRC of vital materials’. I should like to emphasize in this connection that this situation stands until today; no exports or reexports of strategic materials have taken place to the PRC and NK.

With reference to the fact that the res adopted by the GA represents a recommendation to members of the UN which gives the opportunity to each member to determine what materials, in its opinion, are of strategic nature, my govt concluded its statement in the following words: ‘The Govt of Indonesia, in the sense indicated above, will be able to honour the recommendation of the UN’.

My govt has consequently drawn up the following list, setting out the commodities to which, in its opinion, the res of 18 May refers.

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Category A. (This category comprises commodities actually being exported to countries other than the PRC and NK).

  • Petroleum and petroleum derivatives.
  • Rubber.
  • Tin.
  • Bauxite.
  • Manganese ore.
  • Coal.
  • Industrial diamonds.
  • Scrap iron.
  • Hides.
  • Kapok.
  • Fabres.

Category B. (This category comprises commodities which may become exportable in the future, in which case they automatically fall under category A.)

  • Nickel and nickel ore.
  • Cobalt.
  • Sulfur.
  • Copper.
  • Asbestos.
  • Asphalt.
  • Iron ore.

The list will be kept under review and the Govt of the Republic of Indonesia reserves the right to make such revisions therein as it considers necessary.

I should be grateful if you would bring the above to the attention of the AMC.”

Gross